


Sleepover with Mothman

by HappilyNervousCollection (orphan_account)



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast), The Adventure Zone Amnesty (Podcast)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-27 07:59:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17158232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/HappilyNervousCollection
Summary: The power at the local trailer park goes out, and Indrid bunks with Duck for a while. Takes place after episode nineteen.





	Sleepover with Mothman

Indrid was never the most clear when he asked things of Duck. Usually his calls were informing Duck of impending disasters or mishaps, giving him very little time- waiting until the future had a high likelihood. So when the seer called up the lodge, Duck tensed just slightly upon hearing the voice.

”Hello Duck Newton!” The lilted voice chimed over the phone, Duck sporting a small smile at the familiarity. “I do hope I’m not imposing, but I’m going to have to stay at your apartment for a few days.”

Duck opened his mouth for questions, Indrid humming on the other end of the line. “Why? Well, there’s a large snow storm coming up, one that would cause a power outage in the trailer park, and the lack of heat would send me into a sort of coma. And as I’m sure you can understand, that isn’t good.” He informed. “Similarly, I cannot stay at Amnesty Lodge either, as I would immediately become a suspect of Mr. Stern.”

Indrid’s fascination with Duck had been at least slightly clear since the first time he’d called Duck- making a specific request for the man he’d hardly knew. And Duck figured that’s why his brain was questioning why Indrid would like to stay with him of all people- Sure, he couldn’t stay with Aubrey because of her co-residency with Agent Stern, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t bunk with Ned and Billy for a few days.

Now, that didn’t mean Duck was complaining. He actually didn’t mind the company at all- especially if it was Indrid. 

No, he was simply confused.

”Well, uh, of course Indrid. When should I come and pick you up?” Duck replied, gaining a curious look from Agent Stern, who happened to be sitting in the lobby. Duck tried to act inconspicuous, but his ability to act was just as good as his ability to lie- meaning that he was fucking _awful_ at it. 

“Why, whenever you are able to, of course! Although, Duck, you should stick to the back roads.” Indrid chimed, Duck quirking a brow. Indrid replied just as if the two of them were chatting face to face, the pep in his tone dropping just slightly. “There are several less than favorable futures, most of which can be avoided or delayed if you take the back roads.” He explained.

Duck nodded, taking a moment to fish his keys out of his pocket. “Yeah, got it. I’ll be over soon,” Duck replied. “Or, y’know, _whenever_.”

That earned him a soft laugh from Indrid- a noise that caused Duck’s breath to catch in his throat. He wasn’t quite sure if he had ever heard the mothman laugh before- and if he had, it had probably just been Indrid laughing to himself. But this time, Duck had caused the noise, and it sounded just a little bit different.

”I’ll be seeing you, Duck.”

_Click._

At the noise, Duck set the phone down, calming down his breathing for a moment. As he turned to walk out the lodge’s entrance, he paused, Agent Stern approaching him with that same insinuating look on his face.

Ah, shit.

”Hello Mr. Newton,” He started, the friendly tone in his voice countering the curious and suspecting expression he wore. “As I was reviewing some of the anomalies that have taken place here, I couldn’t but hear you mention the name ‘Indrid’. Did I hear that right?”

Duck swallowed, nodding. There was no use in lying if he was absolute shit at it, and lying to a United States Official would probably come with some bad repercussions. Agent Stern smiled, Duck getting a sinking feeling in his stomach.

”Duck Newton, did you know that a particular name, ‘Indrid Cold’, is actually the name of a minor cryptid here in West Virginia?” He asked, an eyebrow quirked, that wide smile on his face. Truthfully, Duck hadn’t known that. After all, the big West Virginia cryptid was Mothman, and he was a staple for Point Pleasant tourism. Though, he supposed in a way, ‘Indrid Cold’ was the name of a West Virginia cryptid- though certainly not a minor one.

”No, Mr. Stern, I did not,” Duck replied, his voice unwavering. He was technically telling the truth, so he didn’t have to worry about that coming up later, right?

”And, pray tell, what is this Indrid’s last name?” Agent Stern asked, causing Duck’s eyes to open wide, his brain racking for any sort of answer.

”Well, uh, Agent Stern, his name- his _last_ name,” Fuck. He couldn’t think of anything. “Is...New...ton. Newton-!” Duck was proud of himself for a solid point one seconds, and then he realized his mistake.

”You two share a last name?” Agent Stern asked, definitely a little more suspecting. Duck smiled sheepishly, nodding. “Are you brothers? Cousins?”

”Uh, Married, actually.”

Duck realized his error not a half a second later, his face going rather pink, his eyes widening in surprise with himself. Agent Stern seemingly had a similar reaction, his eyes widening and his smile faltering just slightly. Duck coughed into the crevice of his elbow, taking a moment to calm himself down. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were gay,” Agent Stern apologized, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m thankful you told me though- I can assure you, I have no problem with it either. It simply... it simply caught me off guard.”

“‘S fine, I just- I don’t usually tell people about that sorta thing,” Duck replied, trying to ignore the part of his brain yelling at him to hit himself and curse. “I should probably get going. See ya later, Mr. Stern,”

Duck was quick to scurry over to his car after that, jamming the keys into the ignition and driving away- making sure to follow the back roads as Indrid had instructed.

 

* * *

By the time he had made it to the trailer park, a decent amount of snow had fallen on the ground. The storm had really picked up, flurries caking the town of Kepler. The usual red glow was missing from Indrid’s trailer, and the moment Duck opened his car door, Indrid stepped out.

Surprisingly, the man wasn’t wearing any winter wear, still sporting his usual tank top and jeans. Although, upon facing the bite of the cold, he seemed to regret that. He quickly rushed out from the Winnebago, tugging along a cooler that he shoved into the backseat of the car. 

“Need any help?” Duck asked, overcoming the small amount of shock that had hit him. “You must be fucking freezing- here, get in the car, I’ll grab your stuff-“

”N-No, it’s perfectly alright,” Indrid replied, although he was already opening the passenger seat to the car. He supposed that made sense though, considering Duck was already approaching the camper.

As Duck entered the Winnebago, the camper was uncharacteristically cold. Not only that, but as Duck looked around for the rest of Indrid’s luggage, he noted that the camper was far more organized than it usually was. The garbage bin inside was filled to the brim with mostly empty egg nog containers, a few crumpled up drawings precariously piled on top. Duck didn’t bother looking- that felt just a little too personal. But he did make sure to pick up Indrid’s sketch pad.

He found a beat up old backpack in the cramped bedroom, laying neatly on the bed. Duck picked it up, slipping it over his shoulder as he walked back out of the Winnebago and back over to the car.

Indrid was shaking like a leaf from where he sat in the seat, making sure the heat was blowing directly at him. He seemed incredibly sleepy by the time Duck had returned, the man handing over the backpack and the sketch pad.

The sight of Indrid was both concerning and undoubtedly adorable, the man leaning against the door, his eyes half lidded behind his glasses- which were partially down the bridge of his nose. Duck couldn’t help but stare at Indrid’s eyes, noting the almost pearlescent shade of blue. It was striking, interesting, and just after Duck got a good glance he realized he had been staring into Indrid’s eyes.

His face heated up slightly, Duck ignoring that for now as he pushed up Indrid’s glasses, the man turning his head slightly to look at him curiously. He hoped the tinting to the glasses masked the coloration of his face, Duck sporting a sheepish smile. “Well, I can’t have you transformin’ into a giant moth in my car- that would probably be a little conspicuous,” He explained, Indrid nodding dazedly.

Duck hummed, switching the tracks on the CD player, grinning at the eighties rock that played. He did his best not sing along, heading back to his apartment via the backroads. Indrid had warmed up a bit, his voice quiet as he murmured to himself- seemingly making a small chittering noise two seconds before each pothole. 

Duck pulled into the apartment complex, parking the car close to the building’s entrance. He parked, moving so that he could get Indrid out of the car, the mothman staying just a little bit longer to soak up some more heat. With a deep breath, Indrid left the vehicle, still making that same chittering noise as Duck quickly guided him up the two sets of stairs to his home.

It sounded almost like a mouse squeak, or a fast, high pitched song Duck didn’t quite know the words to. Indrid’s chittering quieted down as they reached the third floor, his grip on the sketch pad growing tight for just a moment, before returning to it’s lax state. From there, Duck unlocked the door, letting Indrid inside. 

“You make yourself comfortable. There’s uh- there’s an electric blanket in the closet if you need it, and a regular one on the back of the couch,” Duck informed, pointing from the closet to the couch. On top of the second blanket sat his cat- a black, fuzzy little kitten. He smiled, filing away the mental image of Indrid buried underneath a bunch of blankets, cuddling his cat. “That’s Kiara. Don’t worry, she’s a sweetheart,”

Indrid nodded, setting down his backpack and taking his sketch pad with him. He hesitantly let the kitten smell him, scooping up the creature and moving for the blanket. Duck smiled, turning around. “I’ll be right back, I’m gonna go grab the cooler,” Duck informed, Indrid nodding.

Duck was back not ten minutes later, the cooler having given him a little bit of trouble as he lugged it up the stairs. He opened the door again, pulling the cooler towards the kitchen. 

“Mr. Stern is going to be here soon, Duck,” Indrid commented, Duck turning his head to look back at the seer. He was burried underneath the electric blanket, the second one draped on top of it. Kiara had perched herself on Indrid’s shoulder, huddled against his neck. “If you’d like, _your_ _husband_ can answer the door so that you don’t have to lie.”. The second part caused Duck’s face to go slightly red, an expletive leaving him.

“Shit- Indrid, how in the deep _hell_ did you-?”

”I know many things, both in the future and after they’ve happened,” Indrid replied, fixing his glasses. He reached into his pocket, making sure Duck could see him slip a silver ring onto his finger. He sounded amused, sending Duck a sly look. “Mr. Stern may be a little hard to convince though.”

Before Duck could fully stammer out a reply, Indrid stood up, one of his hands holding the electric blanket close to him, the other holding on to Kiara. He walked over to the door, an extension cord following Indrid as he stepped over to the door, waiting for that tell tale knock. He waited a moment, then opening the door, wincing at the cold.

”Hello- Oh, hello,” Agent Stern greeted, his expression faltering for just a moment at the sight of Indrid, Duck’s face going a little more red from where he stood in his kitchen. He busied himself, transferring egg nog from the cooler to the fridge. He could practically hear the smile Indrid wore as he spoke.

”Oh, why hello there.” He answered, his voice sounding somewhat curious- confused. Despite that, the smile on his face didn’t leave- perhaps being a little off putting. “I don’t believe we’ve met before.”

”I’m looking for-“

”Duck, yes.” Indrid stated, cutting off the agent. Stern nodded, quirking an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t be the first. Believe it or not, Duck is quite popular here in Kepler.”

”Pardon my rudeness, but who exactly are you?” Stern asked, sounding, well, stern. 

“Indrid. Indrid Newton, sir,” 

“Ah, I see.” 

Duck closed up the fridge, not exactly sure where to put the cooler. Unfortunately, the noise had attracted Agent Stern’s attention, the man looking over Indrid’s head. The ranger froze up, Stern’s smile widening as he spotted Duck in the apartment. 

“Hello there Mr. Newton!”

”...Hello?” Indrid answered, unable to keep his grin from widening, chuckling to himself. Duck couldn’t help but chuckle, rolling his eyes as he walked up behind Indrid, standing just behind him. 

“You’ve been sitting on that one for the passed minute and a half, haven’t you?” He replied, Indrid smiling and nodding.

”Oh, _absolutely_.” 

Indrid leaned over, pecking Duck’s cheek, Duck’s face going a bit red. Indrid laughed, Duck pulling his hat down so that the brim covered his face. Duck wasn’t sure what to make of that- he enjoyed it immensely, but surely it was just to get Stern away and off their backs, right? 

For some reason, Duck’s stomach sunk at the thought.

Indrid seemed to sense this, one of his hands wrapping around Duck’s waist, squeezing. “I’m sorry sir, but may we talk later? Duck and I were going to have dinner soon,” Indrid requested, Stern nodding in approval. 

“Of course, I’m so sorry for the disruption.” Stern apologized, smiling sheepishly at the two. Indrid waved as Stern walked away, closing the door, his hand lingering on Duck’s waist. The seer turned, setting Kiara down on the floor, pulling Duck into a hug. It left Duck a little choked up, his heartbeat ringing in his ears. 

“Indrid, I uh- fuck, Indrid, was-“

”Yes.” Indrid answered, cutting him off. He leaned closer, Duck able to see his hued reflection in Indrid’s glasses. “You’re quite interesting, Duck. You change my futures at the end of each minute, you’re more heroic than you give yourself credit for. You are kinder than I can ever predict, you are smart- Duck Newton, you are simply  _fascinating_.”

Duck wasn’t sure how to react, Indrid laughing softly as he leaned forwards, pecking Duck’s nose. Duck was flustered, and he reckoned he was probably the color of Indrid’s glasses. He was warm, and jittery, and he couldn’t make any words leave his mouth. Indrid took notice of this, his smile calming just a bit, that sly twist staying where it was. 

“I suppose this is my way of asking you out, as interesting as it may be.”

Duck tripped over his words, making an effort to reply to Indrid coherently, failing horribly. Eventually he just trailed his hands around Indrid’s waist, hesitantly holding him close, as if the faintest touch would break him. He slowly leaned forwards, Indrid letting him take his time as he kissed him. He could taste vanilla on his lips, probably from the eggnog; Indrid’s lips curled into a tight smile against Duck’s. 

Ever since their first face to face interaction, Duck had felt some sort of attraction to him. He’d shoved aside those feelings for the time being- after all, they did have a few disasters to deal with, and romantic actions weren’t exactly top priority. But something about seeing Indrid dragged along the snow as if he was some type of animal- seeing the man injured and helpless- Duck couldn’t stand it. He’d acted on his emotions and freed him, making sure he was okay- making sure he got out of danger.

After the hunt, Duck had spent a while considering his emotions, still a little unsure about it. He would call up Indrid to make sure the man was doing alright, to make sure he was healing properly. It was embarrassing to admit, but it brought him back to his college years, almost. Especially now, with this kiss, almost as if it was the dramatic conclusion to some stupid romcom.

Duck pulled away, slightly dazed as he stared down at Indrid, the cryptid taking a moment to look back up at him. Duck gained a swell of pride- he never thought of himself to be particularly good at anything, but the kiss must’ve been at least decent if he’d gotten Indrid to blush like that.

”Were you able to predict that?”


End file.
